Three years for living soils: Ground:breaking takes stock

Through the Ground:breaking project, CIPRA has spent three years demonstrating how sealed soils can be revitalised – and why this is crucial for the climate, biodiversity and quality of life in the Alpine region. For three years, CIPRA has focused on a resource that is often overlooked in the Alpine region: soils, which store water, cool their surroundings and provide habitats for countless species, yet in many places are sealed or damaged. Ground:breaking demonstrated why soil unsealing is urgently needed and how it can be achieved. Four model municipalities in Slovenia, Italy, Germany and Austria took centre stage, focusing on soil unsealing and soil improvement through locally adapted approaches. Training modules were developed for professionals and the general public, workshops imparted knowledge about soil, and a conference on sustainable spatial planning and unsealing provided an opportunity for networking. In addition, land was unsealed in four Austrian municipalities. The project was accompanied by a series of webinars on topics such as soil life and soil knowledge, funding opportunities, art and unsealing, as well as good examples of soil health and quality of life from various Alpine countries.

Award for soil restoration projects 

The Ground:breaker Award, an Alpine-wide competition recognising good examples of soil restoration and improvement, had a particularly high public profile. A car park transformed into a natural garden and degraded soils brought back to life: projects such as these were honoured by an international jury. The high level of participation showed that many people in the Alpine region view soil as a valuable foundation for life and are willing to protect it. “Ground:breaking has provided an important impetus for soil protection and climate adaptation. It has shared knowledge, strengthened networks and sparked debates that extend far beyond the end of the project”, summarises project manager Marion Ebster. The findings and tools are being incorporated into new projects. In addition, a freely available de-sealing handbook, translated into all Alpine languages, has been produced for local authorities and other interested parties. 

Further information and the soil restoration handbook: https://www.cipra.org/en/projects/ground-breaking?set_language=en